Clock



Nov. 16, 1937. H. c. JAMES, JR I CLOCK Filed Feb. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet I N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Nov. 16, 1937. H. c. JAMES, JR

CLOCK Filed Feb. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOCK ifornia Application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,453

5 Claims.

This invention relates to clocks and especially to that type known as alarm, reminder, program and electric appliance clocks, the present application being a continuation in part of my copending application entitled Clocks filed November 7, 1933, Serial Number 697,032.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of clocks of the character described; to provide a single pair of contacts through which an electric circuit may be closed at any hour or minute indicated on the clock dial; to provide a carrier adapted to be rotated on the clock mechanism one complete revolution in unison with the hour,minute or second hand on the clock, said carrier forming a support for a switch contact having a pair of contacts and said contacts being insulated from said clock mechanism and said switch mechanism being insulated from the clock and its frame; to provide means for connecting said switch with a suitable source of electric current supply; to provide adjustable actuators in the path of travel of the carrier and switch for automatically opening and closing a circuit through the switch contacts at selected time intervals; and, further, to provide a friction means for retaining the actuators in position when adjusted.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the clock;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear view of a portion of the clock showing the collector rings, the switch, the contacts carried thereby, the cam and the actuators;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the clock dial and the alarm dial;

Fig. 4 is a rear view partially broken away and partially in section;

Fig. 5 is a central, vertical cross section;

Figs. 6 and 7 show modified forms of cams;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the actuators; and

Fig. 9 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularl Figs. 1 and 5, A indicates a clock housing or casing of suitable design in which is mounttherefrom is a carrier I5 on which is secured a pair of collector rings l6 and H, see Figs. 3 and 4, and delivering current to said rings are brushes i8 and If! which are connected to a suitable source of electric alternating current supply through wires I8' and I9 These wires may be connected direct with 110 volt power circuit, or the like, or the current may be stepped down through a transformer 20, and a buzzer or other signal or alarm device may be placed in the circuit as indicated at 2|.

Also secured to the carrier are a pair of arms l6 and ll which are counterweighted as shown. Arm- It; is connected to the collector ring [6 and arm I! to the collector ring ll. The arms are insulated from each other and the arm Il carries a flexible switch arm 22 having a contact 23 and also carries a cam 24 on its outer end. Arm IG carries a contact 25 through which the alarm or signal circuit is closed when the switch arm is depressed.

In order that the circuit through the contacts 23 and 25 may be closed to sound an alarm, etc., at selected time intervals means are provided for rotating the carrier which supports the switch, said means being in this instance the hour hand arbor l l to which the carrier is secured and means must be placed in the path of travel of the cam 24 to engage and depress it so as to bring the contacts 23 and 25 into engagement with each other. The means employed are the crank pins generally indicated at C, see Figs. 5, S and 9. There are forty-eight of them and they are journaled between the frame plates 3 and 4. The journal section of each pin is indicated at 21 and 28, a crank portion at 29 and there is also a handle extension 30 for rotating the cranks. A graduated dial B, hereinafter to be referred to as the alarm dial, is secured to the outer face of the clock housing and surrounds the clock dial D. The dial B has a plurality of arcuate slots formed therein through which the handle ends 30 of the cranks extend a suflicient distance to permit them to be grasped whenever a crank is to be adjusted. These cranks will hereinafter be referred to as actuators. They are arranged in a circle concentric to the path of travel of the cam 24 and normally assume a position out of contact therewith, but by grasping one or another of the handle sections 30 and swinging it toward the inner ends of the arcuate slots the crank or cranks connected therewith will similarly swing inwardly as shown at 34 in Fig. 2. In this position the cam 24 will engage the crank or cranks and as such will be depressed sufficiently to cause the contacts 23 and 25 to engage and close the alarm circuit.

When engagement is made between the cam 24 and any of the cranks swung into the path of travel of the cam, there would be a tendency for the crank or cranks to swing out of the way and if that were the case no alarm or signal would be given as the switch arm would not be depressed; hence means must be provided for securing the cranks against rotation when engaged by the cam.

This is accomplished in the present instance by winding a comparatively stiff fiat leaf spring 40 between the inner projected ends 28 of the crank pins, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This fiat spring exerts such a friction on the crank pins that when engaged by the cam 24 there is no chance of displacing or changing their position for they are thus frictionally held and swing inwardly into the path of travel of the cam.

When the crank handles 36] are moved or swung to the outer ends of the arcuate slots, as shown at 30 in Fig. 3, the cranks 29 will assume the position indicated at 29% in Fig. 2 and cam 24 will travel free or out of engagement. Conversely, if the crank handle is swung toward the inner end of a slot, as shown at 30* in Fig. 3, the corresponding crank will assume the position shown at 3 in Fig. 2. In that case cam 2'3 will engage the crank and depress the switch arm 22 sufiiciently to close a circuit through the contacts 23 and 25.

The dial containing the arcuate slots and the protruding handles 38 is graduated into hours and. fifteen minute intervals, said graduations being arranged in a circle concentric to the clock dial and being indicated at $5, see Fig. 1. Graduations are also arranged lengthwise of the arcuate slots, as shown at 36. These graduations indicate five minute intervals but, nevertheless, permit setting of the handles at any point between the ends of the arcuate slots, hence making it possible to accurately set an alarm for any five minute period but by setting the handles at points intermediate the fiveminute graduations it is possible to set an alarm for any minute indicated on the clock dial.

Suppose a series of alarms, signals, or electric circuits are desired at the following times: 12:05; 12:15; 12:40; 12:55; 3:00; 3:45; 5:00; 11:00. If that is the case the proper handles 31! will be swung to the different settings on the alarm dial, and if the clock is being used as a reminder clock at the time an alarm is given the alarm or signal is stopped by returning the particular handle to the outer end of the arcuate slot so as to break the circuit as soon after the alarm has been given as possible. If the clock is being used as a program or radio clock, the handles 3!] are not disturbed as each contact is made. In the case of a radio clock the handles should be returned to off position on the outer ends of the slots at the close of the day. In the case of a program the handles should be left in their set positions until such time as the daily program is to be changed Where 110 volts, or a similar current 'is used, the cam 2% is made of fiber or a similar non-conducting material so that there will be no chance of a person operating the clock getting an electric shock. This is true where both types of contact shown in Figs. 2 and 6 are employed. Where a contact such as shown in Fig. 7 is used, the current is reduced to a very low voltage through a transformer, such as shown at 20, so that any current that might pass through the handles 30 will not be felt by the operator.

The mechanism here illustrated actuates a self contained switch or circuit mechanism and breaker which is carried either by the hour or minute hand arbor or by the hands themselves. The switch and the collector rings are entirely insulated from the rest of the clock mechanism and as such permit the use of a current directly from a 110 volt power circuit, or the like, without any danger to a person operating the clock. The cam 24 which actuates the switch will have different shapes so that the clock may be adapted to various uses.

As an example one style of cam will operate as an alarm or reminder clock, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The shape of the cam is such that if the clock hands are turned backwards while any of the actuating cranks 29 are swung downwardly the cam will pass over them without doing any damage to the flexible arm 22 of the switch. In other Words the hands can be turned either backward or forward without damage to the mecha nism. The cam shown in Fig. 6 closes the circuit and holds it closed for just fifteen minutes and then it breaks contact quickly. This type of cam is employed for turning on the radio, or any other ordinary electric appliance. If it is desired to hold the circuit closed for half an hour or more it can be accomplished by swinging two or more consecutive actuating cranks 29 inwardly into engagement with the cam. Each cam will hold the circuit for fifteen minutes.

Another type of contact, such as shown in Fig. 7, is made by simply bending up the end of the spring arm 22. This type is intended for operating the clock as a program clock for small schools, factories, stores, etc., where the same program or alarm signals are continued day in and day out. For this type of signal the contact is kept closed for a very short period of time.

An alarm mechanism constructed as here shown is absolutely dependable, first because silver contacts are employed at the points indicated at 23 and 25. No matter how much oxide forms on these points they are just as good a conductor of electricity as when new. Secondly, when the cam 24 comes into contact with one of the actuators or cranks 29 it first has a tendency to take up all the slack or lost motion which is common to all clocks so that at the actual time of electric contact everything is under tension and a good solid contact is made between the points 23 and 25.

The actuators or cranks 29 employed allow.

alarms or signals to be set up in advance at any time desired. The number of time intervals at which a signal may be set is not limited to the number of cranks or actuators employed. As an example, in certain constructions of this character using forty-eight actuators, it is only possible to set the alarms at fifteen minute periods. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I.

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In combination with a clock mechanism, a

carrier adapted to be rotated by the clock mechanism, a switch mounted on the carrier, said switch including a stationary and a movable contact, a plurality of actuators movable out of and into the path of travel of the switch to move the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact, a pair of collector rings mounted on the carrier and insulated therefrom, a circuit connection between one ring and the movable contact, a similar connection between the other ring and the stationary contact, a pair of brushes engageable with the collector rings, and a plurality of actuators movable out of or into the path of travel with the movable contact.

2. In combination with a clock mechanism, a carrier adapted to be rotated by the clock mechanism, a switch mounted on the carrier, said switch including a stationary and a movable contact, a plurality of actuators movable out of and into the path of travel of the switch tomove the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact, a pair of collector rings mounted on the carrier and insulated therefrom, a circuit connection between one ring and the movable contact, a similar connection between the other ring and the stationary contact, a pair of brushes engageable with the collector rings, and a plurality of actuators arranged in a circle exterior of the path of travel of the movable contact, said actuators comprising crank members, and means for swinging any crank member into the path of travel of the movable contact.

3. In combination with a clock mechanism, a carrier adapted to be rotated by the clock mechanism, a switch mounted on the carrier, said switch including a stationary and a movable contact, a plurality of actuators movable out of and into the path of travel of the switch to move the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact, a pair of collector rings mounted on the carrier and insulated therefrom, a circuit connection between one ring and the movable contact, a similar connection between the other ring and the stationary contact, a pair of brushes engageable with the collector rings, a plurality of actuators arranged in a circle exterior of the path of travel of the movable contact, said actuators comprising crank members, means for swinging any crank member into the path of travel of the movable contact, and friction means for retaining the cranks in any position to which they are swung.

4. In combination with a. clock mechanism, a carrier adapted to be rotated by the clock mechanism, a switch mounted on the carrier, said switch including a stationary and a movable contact, a plurality of actuators movable out of and into the path of travel of the switch to move the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact, a pair of collector rings mounted on the carrier and insulated therefrom, a circuit connection between one ring and the movable contact, a similar connection between the other ring and the stationary contact, a pair of brushes engageable with the collector rings, a plurality of actuators arranged in a circle exterior of the path of travel of the movable contact, said actuators comprising crank members, means for swinging any crank member into the path of travel of the movable contact, friction means for retaining the cranks in any position to which they are swung, a handle on each crank whereby the crank may be swung into the path of travel of the movable contact, and. a dial on the face of the clock, said dial having a plurality of arcuate slots formed therein through which the handles extend and said dial having time graduations thereon to permit setting of the handles to the time graduations.

5. In a structure of the character described, a frame comprising a pair of spaced plates, a plurality of crank members journaled in the frame and arranged in a circle, each crank having a projecting pin on one end, a spring wound in a zigzag path between the pins completely around the circle and exerting a friction on the pins to resist rotation of the cranks, a crank-shaped handle on each crank member, a third plate through which said handles extend, said plate having a plurality of arcuate slots formed therein, and time indicating graduations arranged adjacent each slot.

HENRY C. JAMES, JR. 

